He Will Always Be The Very Best of Me
by abkeret
Summary: Amanda and Dawson fell in love at a very young age and when he was sent to prison for 8 years he wanted her to move on. She married and had children, but he was in love with her still after 21 years. A good friend of theirs died and brought them back together. Everything was going great until he came back home one day and she was nowhere to be found.


Amanda Kereta

"Wait where am I?! How did I get here? DAWSON, someone, HELP! I need to get out of here! I can't see, who's out there? Who's there? I can hear you, HELP! HELP ME!" I screamed.

It was dark and someone opened the door. I froze, my body wouldn't move. All I wanted to do was push over the person standing there and run, but I couldn't. All I could do was yell. It looked like an old man.

"Who are you? What do you want with me? Oh no! Please stop! Dawson! Get your hands off me! DAWSON HELP!"

Two days earlier….

"Frank I want a divorce. I don't think I can do this anymore. We can't even have a nice dinner in peace without you getting a phone call from work or friends. I know you don't love me anymore, and I don't love you either. I'm in love with someone else."

"In love with someone else? Who? That lame kid from high school, what's his name….Dawson Cole? You fell BACK in love with Dawson Cole?" he said.

"Yes, Dawson Cole. I never stopped loving him."

"Fine, go be with him. But I want full custody of Jared. He doesn't need to be with you and Dawson Cole. He needs to follow in my own footsteps."

"Full custody? You are too much of a drunk to receive full custody. Do you know the main reason why we're getting a divorce? You're a drunk that only cares about himself. I am the only one helping Jared. You want him to be things he does not want to be. It is his life and his choice. He gets to choose what he wants. I have always let him be who he wants. I am filing for the divorce tomorrow. There is nothing you can do that will stop me."

I went outside to think. I needed some time to sit a think about everything I just said. I need this though. I can't stay in this house anymore if I am not happy.

"Mom are you okay? I heard you and dad fighting." said Jared.

Crap, just what I wanted. I didn't want to tell Jared just yet about the divorce. I was hoping he was doing homework and listening to music. He will find out eventually, but now is not the right time and I'm thinking too much right now. My mind is all over the place, but this is exactly what I want.

"Yes, I'm sorry Jared. We are having some problems. Everything will be okay. I promise. Go to bed, it's getting late and you have school tomorrow. I'll talk to you in the morning. I love you."

"Okay mom, just wanted to make sure. You're right. I have an early morning, love you too mom."

Should I feel ashamed I didn't tell him about me and his father? He's our son and he has to deal with it just as much as we do. I hope he's not too upset and understands this is what I need.

I didn't sleep to good last night. All I could think about was how happy I was that I have Dawson again, but the constant reminder that I'm breaking apart my family is terrifying. I have to get going, my lawyer want to meet me pretty early and I have a lot of stuff to get done today.

"Jared, honey, I am sorry to wake you, but I have to go to town for a little while. I will be back later. I love you, I will explain everything later."

"Okay mom, I love you too, hope everything is alright."

"Everything will be fine, go back to bed. Did you set your alarm for 8:00 AM?"

"Yup, I will see you later mom."

I made sure to grab everything I needed so I didn't have to come back to the house to confront Jared again. I won't be completely okay until he knows. I hate keeping things from him. He doesn't even know about Dawson yet. This all might me too much for him. His parents are getting a divorce and his mom is already in love with someone else. I have a feeling he won't take this all too well. What if he won't want to live with me? What if he hates me? I can't lose my son.

I'm meeting up with Dawson before I go see my lawyer. Seeing him will make all my worries go away. He always knows how to make me laugh when I am not feeling myself.

"Amanda, everything is going to be okay. Jared loves you and he isn't oblivious. He knows his father is a drunk and only wants him to follow in his footsteps. He doesn't want that and you know it. He will understand, I promise." said Dawson.

"You're right. I'm his mom. I don't know why I was overreacting like that. I'll talk to him about it in a couple of days when I know the divorce is going through. I have to get going though. I can't miss my meeting. I'll see you tonight. Thanks for getting me through this, I love you Dawson."

As I left Dawson's house I wasn't even nervous anymore. This is what me and Jared need and Dawson made me realize that.

I finally arrived to my lawyer's office. I was ready to do this. Ready to start a new chapter in my life without Frank and with Dawson. I signed all the papers I needed to and all that had to be done was Frank's part and the process of finalizing it. I left the office and I got called into work. I love my job at the Children Defense Fund, but I've dealt with a lot today so I called my boss to tell him my situation and he told me to take the next few days off to get everything figured out. He's the best boss I could ask for and understands everything. Now that I have some extra time I called Dawson to meet me at Squeals in Vandemere.

"Hey Dawson, nice for you to actually to show up this time." I said.

"Amanda, you know why I didn't show up for our date 21 years ago. Don't get me wrong, I liked you a lot, but I couldn't go out in public with that black eye. You deserved better then."

"I asked you on the date, I wanted you to be there, no one else. I didn't care what you looked like, but you should have told me! You left me sitting there!"

"Yes, I know. But look at us now. I'm making it up for you and this time will be better, I promise."

Dawson definitely kept his promise, he always does. We had a great dinner and talk. We mostly talked about how our lives were the last 21 years.

"I never apologized for what happened when we were teenagers, but you have to understand that was for the best. You had a life outside of the prison walls and I didn't. I couldn't let you waste your time with me. I was a no one in here." he said.

"I would have waited for you Dawson. You were all I wanted. All I ever wanted." I said.

"All that matters is that we are together now. Let's go to Tuck's house. It's getting late."

On our way to Tuck's I called Jared to tell him I wouldn't be back home tonight because it was too late to drive back home. He was alright with it, he had a lot of homework to get done anyways so I wouldn't have seen much of him anyways.

"Do you think we should sell the house?" I asked.

"No, this house meant too much to Tuck. We can fix it up. Better yet, why don't we make it OUR home? It is in a perfect location and Jared is going to college next year anyways. We can start fixing it up tomorrow morning."

"Perfect, we will start when we wake up. I want to get all new appliances in the kitchen. You know how much I love cooking Dawson. I'll order those in the morning."

We went outside and sat on the dock drinking some wine. It was such a peaceful night. Tons of stars in the sky and a big bright moon. I felt so relaxed with Dawson holding me under the blanket. I haven't felt this loved and close to someone in a long time.

"Amanda, you are all I have been thinking about all these years. I know it is awful to say, but Tuck dying has brought us back together and that is what he wanted. He knew we were meant for each other and I always knew we were. That is why I have always only loved you."

"I know Dawson. I would have chosen you and you know that."

We were both so comfortable we fell asleep out on the dock. I didn't even wake up once. I woke up in the same position as I fell asleep in, Dawson holding me as tight as ever. I got up first and went inside and brewed up some coffee and made some eggs, bacon, and toast. Dawson came back in just in time. Coffee was ready and all the food was done. We sat there and enjoyed our nice cool morning drinking coffee, eating our breakfast, and sitting on the back porch.

"How is your food Dawson? I didn't have any seasonings for the eggs so I think they are kind of plain."

"Oh stop, this is how I make my eggs all the time, but yours are still somehow better. Thank you Manda."

I'm glad he liked the eggs more than I did. They tasted like nothing, but that's typical for a guy to like everything.

"Hey Amanda, I'm going to run into town for a bit. I need to grab some paint and some tools to get started on the walls and cabinets this evening. Do you need anything?"

"Um, can you grab some cleaning supplies? These all are almost gone and there is a lot of dust."

This is all getting so real, I really need to tell Jared about what's going on. Someone opened the door.

"Dawson did you forget anything? Need any money? I asked.

There was no answer. I walked to the door and looked outside. I didn't see anyone. Maybe it was just the wind. I turned back around and suddenly there was a brown bag over my face. I screamed at the top of my lungs and got a blow to my stomach. I couldn't breathe for a few seconds. Then I had another punch to my head. My eyes focused and unfocused and I fell to the ground.

Later that evening Dawson came back home with some pizza and soda.

"Amanda I'm back I got some food and drinks so we can eat while painting the walls. Where are you at?"

He checked the whole house, outside, and even in the barn. "Amanda where are you?" He tried calling her cell phone and he heard it ringing in the kitchen. He looked in her cell phone and found Frank's number.

"Hi Frank this is Dawson Cole, have you heard from Amanda? Her phone and purse were left in the house and her car is still in the driveway. I am worried something might have happened."

"Dawson Cole the guy that my wife has been stuck in love with our whole marriage?" he asked.

"Yes, I am sorry, but that is not our main concern right now. Have you heard from Amanda at all?"

"No, I have not. I can't help you. The last I heard from her is when she wanted to file for a divorce because of you."

"Okay, well I am sorry about that too, but if you hear from her let me know."

Dawson didn't know what to do because this is so unlike Amanda. She never leaves without telling him what she has planned.

I woke up in a dark room, maybe not even a room. A dark closet. I can feel myself tied to a pole and I don't even have enough room to spread out my legs. Where am I? Someone opened the door.

"Who are you? What do you want with me? Oh no! Please stop! Dawson! Get your hands off me! DAWSON HELP!"

"SHUT UP! Stop screaming or I will hit you again." he said.

I still couldn't tell who it was. This brown bag over my face was barely see through and all I could see were shapes. I was being dragged down a hallway until he stopped. He tied me to another pole and took the brown bag off my face.

"Tommy Cole?! Dawson's dad? What do you want with me?" I yelled.

"What do I want with you? I want my son, I am his father."

"You want Dawson? All you ever did was beat him! You were never a father to him. No father does that to their son!"

"Don't tell me I was never a father to him! He needed to learn respect and he never gave me any. He deserved everything he got. He still deserves more because he clearly hasn't learned any respect. I don't remember the last time he has come for a visit. I blame you for that."

"You blame me? What did I do?" I asked.

"You took my son from me and now I'm using you to get him back. He'll come here sooner or later. He always does." said Tommy.

Dawson is still back at the house trying to figure out some scenarios on what could have happened to Amanda, until it finally clicks. When he was at the hardware store earlier today he saw his good friend from high school, Bobby's son. He was with a few of Tommy's friends too. They must have told Tommy that Dawson was in town and when they went to the house to get Dawson the only person there was Amanda.

"Gosh dang it! I swear if my dad touches Amanda I will…" said Dawson.

Dawson grabbed the car keys and ran to his truck. He knew exactly what to do.

"Oh look who it is pulling up the driveway. See Amanda, I knew he would figure it out. He has always been the smart one." said Tommy.

"DAWSON, HELP! I'm in here! Get help!" I screamed.

"Amanda! I swear to god, if you touched her..." yelled Dawson.

I screamed as loud as I could so Dawson could hear me. I'm so glad he found me. I could hear him running to the door. It flew open.

"Oh my god, Amanda, your face. I am so sorry." said Dawson with tears in his eyes.

He turned around to his father and gave him one quick punch to the face. His dad fell to the ground.

"How could you do that to her? What did she do to deserve that?"

He punched him again, and again.

"DAWSON, STOP! You're going to kill him!"

Dawson turned around to me and took his knife out of his back pocket and cut the rope around the pole so my hands were free. He helped me up and I have never been happier to see him and hug him. I took Dawson's phone and called 911.

"It's better for the police to handle this Dawson. I can't have you taken from me again. I love you"

"I love you too Amanda, so much."

The police arrived a few minutes later and arrested Tommy Cole and a few other guys that were outback doing illegal drugs. Tommy was sentenced to life in prison because he was already on parole and had so many more charges on top of that. As for the guys outback, they were sentenced to a few years in prison for attributing to the kidnapping and for doing drugs. As for me and Dawson, I just had a few sore ribs, and bruises the next day and Dawson had a few broken fingers from punching his dad.

The next day I told Jared about what happened and he is in love with Dawson because he saved me. He even offered to come help finish the house with us.

A few months later...

The divorce is almost final and I received custody of Jared. Frank will get him every other weekend, which I'm fine with. Jared, Dawson, and I finished the house in Vandemere and we are all now living there like a very happy family.


End file.
